Some Unheralded Players spend years trying to break through at the NFL level, only to linger in obscurity. Redskins defensive end Cameron Malveaux is dangerously close to such a fate.
The defensive line might be the strongest unit on the Washington Redskins‘ roster. With four first-round picks across the front, the Redskins are stocked with some of the most talented players that the game of football has to offer.
On the edges, Chase Young and Montez Sweat constitute a terrifying athletic duo, and on the interior, the rotation of Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, and Daron Payne has a chance to be one of the best in the NFL in due time. Even in the wings, Washington has steely veteran Ryan Kerrigan and young gun Tim Settle waiting. If there was ever a position that could be set in stone this early, it would be defensive line.
That’s what makes Cameron Malveaux’s coming task that much more challenging.
Malveaux, now with his fourth team in three seasons, was given a chance by the Redskins in December, and was kept after Ron Rivera’s initial assessment of the team. Does he have enough physical potential to avoid being drowned out by the talent elsewhere on the line? Here’s a look at our next Unheralded Player.
Who is Redskins DE Cameron Malveaux?
Some Unheralded Players have to experience a fall from stardom to rise again, but Cameron Malveaux has never been a stranger to flying under the radar.
Despite measuring in at around 6-foot-5, 217 pounds as a high school recruit, Malveaux was only a two-star prospect, and got somewhat lost in the shuffle in the football factory that is Texas. He ended up signing with the Houston Cougars, where he saw action in four seasons.
Despite possessing the requisite athleticism and mentality, Malveaux was never able to break onto the college scene in totality. His best year came in 2015 when, as a junior, Malveaux made an impact for the Cougars on defense, tallying 33 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.
After finishing a senior season that saw him log 7.5 tackles for loss, three pass deflections, and just one sack, Malveaux went to the draft circuit, where he was given minimal reception from NFL teams. He went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft, and signed with the Miami Dolphins, where he remained on the practice squad until being called up on December 2 of that year.
In limited game action with the Dolphins, Mavleaux, then 6-foot-5, 276, would make an impression. He logged a sack in his time on the line, and also managed to add five tackles and three tackles for loss.
Malveaux’s efforts would be enough for him to stick around another year, and midway through the 2018 season, the Cardinals saw his resume and chose to sign him off of the Dolphins’ practice squad. With the Cardinals, Malveaux logged another sack, and recorded a pass deflection, again showing off his physical potential in flashes.
Unfortunately for Malveaux, Arizona would eventually release him as part of final cuts the following year. He was promptly signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad, where he remained until he was released again in December. One week later, Malveaux was signed to the Washington Redskins practice squad, and on December 30, he signed a futures contract with the team, ensuring that he would get another chance to make a 53-man roster.
Redskins DE Cameron Malveaux player breakdown
Malveaux is one of the lesser-known players on the Redskins roster, but he has a surprisingly solid resume, apart from stats. He was a senior captain at Houston, and his athletic testing numbers from his pro day pop off the screen.
At his Houston pro day in 2017, Malveaux, weighing in at 6-foot-5, 273, logged a 4.73 40-yard dash, a 37.5-inch vertical, a 125-inch broad jump, and 21 bench reps, while sporting a massive 82.5-inch wingspan. On paper, Malveaux is a top-tier athlete on the defensive line, and he has the kind of tools that ideally would be moldable at the NFL level.
Malveaux’s length and athleticism have been on display in limited spurts at the professional level, as the defensive lineman has used his long arms to disrupt passing lanes before. Malveaux has the profile of a defensive end hybrid who can also line up on the interior; his combination of size and burst affords him that potential flexibility.
With that being said, there’s a reason Malveaux is with his fourth team now in just three years. Perhaps a lack of role definition has prevented him from latching on to a steady developmental curve. Malveaux also hasn’t shown enough development as a pass rusher from his college days, when he was a run defender first, due to his ability to set the edge and plug holes with his size.
Malveaux turns 26 this offseason, so he still has time to tap into his upside. But time is running out for the Cougars product to make a lasting impact. He has enough potential where one chance could catalyze a late-career revival, and earn him a greater role in the league. But at this point, if it hasn’t happened yet, will it happen at all?
How Cameron Malveaux can make the Redskins roster
Of all the Unheralded Players to be listed so far, Malveaux has the toughest path to the 53-man roster.
At defensive end, three spots are essentially locked up between Chase Young, Montez Sweat, and Ryan Kerrigan, and on the defensive interior, Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, Daron Payne, and Tim Settle are likely locks as well, with Caleb Brantley also maintaining some security.
There simply isn’t a lot of room for Malveaux to break through. He’ll have to show enough for the Redskins to keep him as an extra defensive lineman. Something that works in his favor, against the numbers, is his versatility as a hybrid on the defensive front.
Malveaux is a much better scheme fit than ends Ryan Anderson and Nate Orchard, and while he has a similar profile to seventh-round rookie James Smith-Williams, Malveaux’s NFL experience could be a difference maker in that regard.
It all comes down to what the Redskins feel they need from their depth pieces on the defensive line. If Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio feel that a player who can play both on the edge and on the interior would be valuable, then Malveaux has the foundation required to prove he can take on that role.
It’s important for Unheralded Players to find a niche which they can thrive in, and luckily for Malveaux, he has that. And as stacked as the odds may be against his favor on the vaunted Redskins defensive line, Malveaux’s flexibility will always give him a chance.